Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Threatens ‘100% Tariff’ for New Yorkers Wanting to Flee to the Lone Star State
Governor of Texas Greg Abbott has threatened to impose “a 100% tariff” on New Yorkers who want to flee to the Lone Star State if the Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani wins the mayoral elections.
In a post on
It is unclear how Abbott would impose the tariff, as it falls within the federal government’s authority under the Constitution.
Mamdani has said he wants to make New York City more affordable, and his plan includes raising taxes on the city’s millionaires. He has also proposed sweeping housing reform policies, including freezing rents for some apartments.
The mayoral candidate’s critics said this would cause millionaires to flee the city — and would be a blow to the Big Apple’s economy.
No presidential support
President Donald Trump has endorsed the former governor of New York. Andreas Cuomowho is running as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.
Threatening to cut federal funding for the city, he stated in Truth Social: “If communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will contribute any federal funds, beyond the necessary minimum, to my beloved first home, due to the fact that, as a communist, this once great city has NO chance of success or even survival!”
He added that Mamdani “has no experience and a record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. He was nothing as an Assemblyman, ranked at the bottom of the class and as a Mayor of potentially, again, the greatest city in the world, HE HAS NO CHANCE to bring it back to its former glory!”
He also shunned the Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa– saying that a vote for Sliwa “is a vote for Mamdani.”
“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You have to vote for him and hope he does a great job,” Trump wrote.
Leaving New York
The election has lit a fire among some New Yorkers who want to leave Gotham. Real estate agents in the tri-state area have seen a spike in inquiries from affluent New Yorkers considering alternative places to live.
“Yes, the elections certainly play a major role in motivating buyers to move,” Taylor Lucykbroker and founder of the Taylor Lucyk group in Bergen County, NJ, tells Realtor.com®.
Officers say some people cite fears of higher taxes or a shift in housing policy, while others worry about their safety and an increase in crime.
Fox News host Sean Hannity claimed there will be a “mass exodus” from New York if Mamdani wins.
Donald Trump Jr. said on “Fox & Friends” that New York will “go up in flames” if Mamdani is elected.
